Photo by Agata Schoenborn

Sarah Stein | Guide

When Sarah arrives in her tiny Honda Civic, the ALS patients and families she serves can’t help but smile. From her “clown car,” she unloads walkers, wheelchairs, shower benches—even hospital beds. But what she delivers best is hope. Also known as Lou Gehrig’s, the neuromuscular disease can take patients “from walking, to needing a cane, to a walker, a wheelchair, and a power wheelchair—all in one year.” Her visits, and the equipment loans, are provided free of charge by the ALS Association’s regional chapter. A patient advocate, Sarah streamlines insurance claims, installs adaptive computer software, arranges qualified respite care, and listens. “You can’t put a price on what Sarah does,” says Renee Norman, whose husband Chris is among Sarah’s 100 patients. “We’re managing a terminal disease that changes almost daily, but when Sarah walks through the door, you just know everything’s going to be okay.”